''The Accusers'' is a 2003

historical mystery The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves th ...

crime novel Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a profession ...

Lindsey Davis Lindsey Davis (born 1949) is an English historical novelist, best known as the author of the Falco series of historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire. She is a recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger award. Life and career ...

and the 15th book of the Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries series. Set in

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

between Autumn AD 75 and Spring AD 76, the novel stars

Marcus Didius Falco Lindsey Davis (born 1949) is an English historical novelist, best known as the author of the Falco series of historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire. She is a recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger award. Life and career ...

, informer and imperial agent. The title refers to the role of accusers in bringing the various cases to trial during the course of the story.

Plot summary

Fresh from his trip to

Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...

, Marcus Didius Falco needs to re-establish himself back in Rome. A minor role in the trial of a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

entangles him in the machinations of two lawyers: Silus Italicus and Paccius Africanus, both ex-

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

s with notorious reputations. The senator is convicted, but then dies, apparently by suicide. Silius hires Falco and his young associates – Aelianus and Justinus – to prove that it was murder, not an attempt to protect his heirs from further legal action. However, probing this tangle of upper-class secrets leads to fresh prosecutions. Falco finds himself in the role of advocate, exposing himself to powerful elements in

Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I. Roman law also den ...

. If he offends the wrong people, it might lead to charges he has not bargained for and ruin his family financially.

Characters

Family and associates

* ''Aulus Camillus Aelianus'' – Elder of Helena's brothers * ''Albia'' – British girl adopted by Helena * ''Anacrites'' – Chief Spy * ''Decimus Camillus Verus'' – Father of Helena * ''Geminus'' – Father of Falco, Auctioneer * ''Glaucus'' – Falco's trainer * ''Helena Justina'' – Wife of Falco, eldest child, and only daughter of the

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Decimus Camillus Verus * ''Julia Junilla and Sosia Favonia'' – Daughters of Falco and Helena * ''Julia Justa'' – Mother of Helena * ''Junia'' – Falco's sister * ''Junilla Tacita'' – Mother of Falco * ''Lucius Petronius Longus'' – Friend of Falco and Vigiles Officer * ''Maia Favonia'' – Falco's widowed sister * ''Marcus Didius Falco'' – Informer and Imperial Agent * ''Quintus Camillus Justinus'' – Youngest brother of Helena * ''Scythax'' – Vigiles doctor * ''Verontius'' – Falco's brother-in-law

From the legal world

* ''Aufustius'' – Banker * ''Biltis'' – Professional mourner * ''Bratta'' – Informer * ''C. Paccius Africanus'' – Lawyer * ''Celadus'' – Steward * ''Claudius Tiasus'' – Funeral director * ''Euboule'' – Wet-nurse * ''Euphanes'' – Herbalist * ''Honorius'' – Lawyer * ''Julius Alexander'' – Land agent * ''Marponius'' – Judge * ''Olympia'' – Fortune teller * ''Perseus'' – Door porter * ''Procreus'' – Accuser * ''Rhoemetalces'' – Apothecary * ''Scorpus'' – Wills expert * ''Spindex'' – Funeral clown * '' Ti Catius Silus Italicus'' – Lawyer * ''Ursulina Prisca'' – Client * ''Zeuko'' – Daughter of Euboule

Major themes

* The legal machinations of two lawyers.

Allusions/references to history

* Set in Rome in AD 75 and 76, during the reign of Emperor

Vespasian Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...

. *

is the

legal Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a Socia ...

system of ancient Rome. The development of Roman law covers more than one thousand years from the law of the

twelve tables The Laws of the Twelve Tables () was the legislation that stood at the foundation of Roman law. Formally promulgated in 449 BC, the Tables consolidated earlier traditions into an enduring set of laws.Crawford, M.H. 'Twelve Tables' in Simon Hornbl ...

(from 449 BC) to the

Corpus Juris Civilis The ''Corpus Juris'' (or ''Iuris'') ''Civilis'' ("Body of Civil Law") is the modern name for a collection of fundamental works in jurisprudence, enacted from 529 to 534 by order of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. It is also sometimes referred ...

of Emperor

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

(around 530). Roman law as preserved in Justinian's codes became the basis of legal practice in the ''

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

'' and—later—in continental Europe.

Release details

* 2003, UK, Century Hardback.. * 2004, UK, Arrow, Paperback. . * 2004, US, Mysterious Press, Hardback. .

References

External links

lindseydavis.co.uk
Author's Official Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Accusers 2003 British novels Marcus Didius Falco novels English historical novels Historical crime novels 75 76 Century (imprint) books